Investigation on the functional and mechanical performance of differentially compacted pervious concrete for road pavements

Pervious concrete aims at being a sustainable and eco-efficient paving material. A lot of studies have indeed been conducted on pervious concrete pavements (PCP) during the last decade but technical standards and rigorous construction specifications are still missing. The present study tested several laboratory-made pervious concrete specimens to define the proper compaction energy able for achieving specific design requirements in terms of porosity (void content) and bulk density; this to therefore guarantee adequate mechanical and functional performances. Different mixes, prepared by combining several water/cement ratios, were compacted using diverse energies and afterwards tested evaluating the void content, the bulk density, the indirect tensile strength, the compressive strength, the elastic modulus, and the permeability coefficient. Outcomes identified the optimal ranges of void contents and bulk densities for each mixture complying to specific permeability and mechanical requirements such as for allowing a wider adoption of PCP on roadways, even if subjected to mid/high traffic levels.